Are you dissatisfied with your current cell phone provider but afraid to terminate their services? Do you want to apply for a new cell phone provider but you are thinking twice because you don’t want to change you number? Are you wondering if you can change your cell phone provider and yet still retain your old phone number? Are you searching for a guide to help you keep your cell phone number and still change your cell phone service provider? If you are all of these things then you have come to the right place as I give you some guidelines on how to change your cell phone provider and still keep your old cell phone number.
As early as May 24, 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a regulation that required all wireless or cell phone providers to allow for Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP). What is WNLP? As you may have guessed, WNLP allows you, the subscriber, to terminate your contract of service with your current cell phone provider and bring your old number to the new cell phone provider of your choice. This means that both your old and new providers cannot refuse to transfer and accept your old cell phone number. With this new feature in wireless telecommunications, you can change your cell phone provider without worrying of having to inform all your family, friends and business colleagues of your new number.
The process of WLNP is rather simple one. The first thing that you have to remember is not to terminate your old cell phone service yet. You must first apply for a new cell phone provider and inform them of your desire to keep your old cell phone number. This means that you would have to give your new cell phone provider of the following information: your 10-digit phone number, customer account number, five-digit zip code, and pass code, if applicable. The process of porting or transferring your old cell phone number to your new cell phone provider will be conducted by your new cell phone provider. They would talk to your old cell phone provider to start the process and execute the necessary paper work.
Be warned, however, that prematurely terminating your contract with your old cell phone provider may mean that you have to pay a termination fee. Also, your new cell phone provider may also require you to pay a porting charge, but currently, very few providers charge this because of the stiff competition. Bear in mind that your new cell phone provider cannot refuse porting just because you haven’t paid your porting fees. Also, your old cell phone provider cannot refuse to allow you to carry your old phone number just because you haven’t paid your existing balance with them.
A restriction in your WNLP is that you can only carry over your old phone number in the same geographic area that it has been operating before. If you change states or cities, for example, you cannot bring your old phone number with you. The porting process for wireless to wireless transfer usually takes up to only a few hours.
